REAL Tips
Ways to SAVE on Energy Costs for your HOME
February 18, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
Oh what a glorious day we have today for the weather in Austin!
On days like this, I want to burst out of the house, dance in the yard and then start a new project! Sometimes, however, the projects need to be what a house needs, as opposed to just what makes it pretty (prettier!). [...]
Homeowners Insurance: Do You Have a CLUE
February 10, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
CLUE is short for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, otherwise known as the really big database where insurance companies keep track of the claims filed on a property as well as the claims filed by individuals. Your CLUE report impacts the rate and availability of policies that insurers will sell to you.
These two articles, from a [...]
House Paint: It’s NOT All the Same
February 8, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
Meet Dale. Dale is my Paint Guy – he is the Manager of Austin’s Hill Country Paints.
When I need my paint fix, which is quite frequent, I go visit him and his co-worker John, at the store on Anderson Mill in Northwest Austin. I’ve recently realized just how interesting these visits [...]
Price Your House to Sell
February 7, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
Want to get the most money for your home? Think that means put a nice big price tag on it?
Think again.
If you want your house to sell, you have to price it for current market conditions, period. Not for what you hope you can sell it for, not what a neighbor sold theirs [...]
Tax Credits for Energy Efficient Home Upgrades
February 6, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
Ah, the joy of opening a really nice low water, electric or gas bill can *almost* off-set the nasty surprise we get when we open up a whopper bill and wonder how on earth we used THAT much of something in a given month . . . and then realize that we’re half-way through the [...]
Tax Credits for Replacing Doors and Skylights
January 28, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
If money seems to be escaping through drafty windows, doors, and skylights, this federal tax credit might make energy-efficient replacements more affordable. Does it feel like money is escaping through your home’s drafty windows, doors, and skylights? You might be able to keep at least some of that cash in your [...]
Restrictive Covenants and the Big Green Ugly
January 12, 2010 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
I have a Big Green Ugly sitting in my driveway. It’s been there for a while and it isn’t going away any time soon.
The Big Green Ugly is a truck, a really big one – a 1994 Ford F250 XLT with a full-length bed and an extended cab. I bought it when I was [...]
Inspecting Home Inspections
December 14, 2009 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
“$300 for a home inspection?
Why can’t I just have my brother take a look at it?”
To a REALTOR®, them’s scary words. When you’re buying property, protect your investment and yourself and have it inspected by a licensed property inspector. Not your brother, your father, your neighbor or just yourself, no matter how [...]
You Can Do It, Yes You Can!
December 3, 2009 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
Meet Frank. Frank bailed me out of one of my most stressful, and ultimately, most rewarding adventures as a homeowner. My divorce-recovery therapy was ripping out parts of my home. Sometimes I was successful at putting things back together, and sometimes, well, not so much. By now, my journey from a wife whose husband [...]
Have You Seen This Guy?
November 3, 2009 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
Have you seen this guy in your neighborhood? Do you WANT to? Some folks will shout, “YES!” and others, well others might not be so enthusiastic. When you’re getting ready to buy a home, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement about the house, the landscaping and where you’re going to [...]
Getting Ready to Sell: Why cheetos, fly swatters and bouncy balls aren’t part of a solid marketing strategy
October 27, 2009 by BigMama · Leave a Comment
You LOVE your home, and you LIVE in it, you live in it HARD. You have a long list of projects on your to-do list that never seem to get done, but then again, who really has the time? And then one day, sometimes unexpectedly, you realize you’re going to need to sell it. [...]
Hi! My name is Alison Shuman and I am a licensed Texas REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker United, REALTORS®. I live, work and play in Northwest Austin. I spent years as a technical project manager. Then, to quote one of my favorite movies, I realized it was time to get busy living, or get busy dying. Join me on my journey from Rookie to Pro. Just maybe you'll find something that helps you find your own way HOME.
